Jack assembly for track loaders



July 27, 1954 5 w WARP 2,684,641

JACK ASSEMBLY FOR TRACK LOADERS Filed Nov. 25, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR BERN/9RD M MAV- WZ 'WW/fim ATTORNEYS y 1954 B. w. WARF JACK ASSEMBLY FOR TRACK LOADERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 23 1951 INVENTOR Bfxwvmvo M M917,-

BY 72 mm rflM/dawz' ATTORNEYS Patented July 27, 1954 JAK-A$SEMBLY FOR TRAQK LOADERS- Bernardqwr Warf, Gary, W, Va. Application N vember 23, 1951, Serial No- 251,89?

4 Claims.

This-invention relates to a track loader having a jack assembly for rerailingthe rear truck of (the loader in the event of derailing thereof;

It isarnong the objects ofthe invention to provide animproved jack assembly for atrackioader which includes hydraulic jacks mounted on the loader oneat each side or the rear'end" thereof for raisingthe rear trucl z of theloaderback onto therailsin the event the reartruck becomesaccidentallyderailed; which includes means providing pivotal connection between the jacksnand the loader; so thatthe jaclgs canbe settomove the" rear end; of the loadeg sidewise as may be necessary; as WGHIHzStO'I'QJSfi therear truck; which includes-means connectin the hydraulic jacks. to the-hydraulic systemof the motor for supplying hydraulic fiuid -under pressure to the jacks;

adetw the r lt a c iae wssemb r llu trative he mention Qnerativem mount dt mom i EigureZ s:a top plan; viewiofthe. track loader.

c 4. ilacleassembly. shown. Figures 1.; Figure .1 3; isaa somewhat diagrammatic rear elevationalt. View of: they loader and: jack assembly showing. the jacks in operative position;

Figure s4 is anend elevational view of the jack assembly illustratedinFigure 3; and- Fi'gure 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of the hydraulic system ofthe loader and jack assembly.

With continued" reference to the drawings, the loaderincludes an elongated frame. supported at a point intermediate its length on front and rear wheeled trucks l l and I2 whichrest on the rails, of a track [3, a gathering, head l4. movably mounted on the frame. at the front end of the. latter andprojecting forwardly from the frame, anda rear conveyormounted on v the. frame andeagtendi-ng rearwardly-thergeof; A pair of hydrauligcdevices I6: and I1, are; connected between the front portion of the frame and the gathering head. [4; toaimpart up-and-down movements to-thegathering head and at least one hydraulic device l8ris connected between the frame and the gathering head to impart lateral or sideways movement to the gathering head.

A' hydraulic pump is mountedon the frame l0 and driven by the mainelectric motor'M ofthe loader which pumphas aninlet ZZ-fandan outlet-23 and'a hydraulic fluidreservoir orsump" 24 is connected to the pump inlet 22 by a con-'- duit 25.

A- maincontrol valve 26 'hasa pressure inlet- 21' connected to the outlet 23- of the pump by conduit 23, and hasa vent or drainoutlet 'Z S- connectedto the reservoir zl through the conduit 'by a conduit 30. Thevalve Z-Ghas a number of independent pressure outlets, as indicated 'at 3i and '32 the outlet 3! being connected by; branchedoonduit 33-to both of the hydraulic devices l6 and", and the pressure outlet 32 being connected by a conduit 3;4 to the def vice [8.

As traclg loaders of the character indicatedare well known to the art, further illustriation and description of the track load er itself. is e i e unnecessary vfor the purposes of thelpresent dis; closure.

The hydraulic. jack assembly of thelpresentine, vention includes a support beam, Ziiextendihg.

) across theupper side-of; the loader frame, I ll at}:

the rear end. of the frame and projecting at its;

ends beyond the, respectively. opposite, sidesmf;

Diagonal braces are securedto thet the; frame. support beam 35 at the ends thereof, and tothe.

frame; In at'locations below, the corresponding ends of the. support beam.

These braces comprise longitudinally curved: bars of substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape and' are arranged inpairs disposed one pair at each end of the support beam 35; Asill ustrated in Figures 3 and 4; thebraces 36 and 31" disposed at the right-hand end ofthe support" beam; as viewedin Figure 3, areconnectede'ach at one end to thesu-pport beam and each at other endto the loader fram I 0 and extend downwardly from the corresponding ehd'of the v support beam in spaced apartand substantially,

parallel relationship to each other. Two corre spondingbraces are provided at the other end oi the support beam, one being illustrated in Figure 3andindicatedat 38. V

Aperturedlugs 39 and 40 depend from the sup; port beam; 35 near the oppositeends an cl adjacent the mid-width location: of the support beam, 7

and; hydraulic jacks, as generally indicated at 41 and 42 are disposed one under each overhanging end portion ofthe support beam 35: and between the corresponding diagonal braces, as is m ant.

illustrated in Figure 4 for the jack '42.

The hydraulic jack 4| comprises a cylinder 43 having an open lower end and a fixed cap 44 closing its upper end. Spaced apart, apertured lugs 45 project perpendicularly from the end wall of the cap 44 and are disposed one at each side of the lug 39 depending from the support beam 35, and a pivot pin 46 extends through the apertures in the lugs 39 and 45 to pivotally connect the jack 4| to the support beam for swinging movements toward and away from the adjacent side of the frame Ill of the loader.

A piston 47 is reciprocably received in the cylinder 43 and projects at one end from the open end of the cylinder, and a foot formation 48 having a roughened or serrated outer surface 48 is provided on the end of the piston 41 disposed outwardly of the cylinder 43. A chain is connected at one end to the foot formation 48 and at its other end to the cylinder 43 to limit movements of the piston 4'! outwardly of the cylinder, and a return sprin 5! is connected at one end to the foot formation 48 and at its other end to the support beam 35 to resiliently urge the piston inwardly of the cylinder. A hydraulic conduit fitting 52 is mounted on the cylinder end or cap 44 and communicates with the interior of the cylinder between the closed end of the latter and the adjacent end of the piston 41.

The jack 42 comprises a cylinder 53 having one end closed by an end cap 54 provided with upstanding and spaced apart, apertured lugs 55 which are disposed one at each side of the lug 40 depending from the support bar 35, and a pivot pin 55 extends through the lugs 55 and 49 to pivotally connect the upper end of the cylinder 53 to the support bar 35. A piston 5'! is reciprocably received in the cylinder 53 and projects at one end from the open end of the cylinder, and a foot formation 58 having a rough or serrated outer surface 58 is provided on the end of the piston 51 projecting out of the cylinder 53.

A chain 59 is connected between the cylinder 53 and the foot formation 58 to limit movements of the piston 51 outwardly of the cylinder, and a tension spring 50 is connected between the foot formation 58 and the support beam 35 to resiliently urge the piston inwardly of the cylinder. A hydraulic conduit fitting 5| is mounted on the cylinder cap or end 54 and communicates with the interior of the cylinder between the closed end of the latter and the adjacent end of the piston 5'1.

Handles 52 and 53 are mounted on the cylinders 43 and 53, respectively, at the outer sides of the cylinders for swinging the hydraulic jacks inwardly and outwardly relative to the adjacent sides of the loader frame.

A conduit 65 is connected at one end to the branched conduit 33 and is connected at its other end through a branch conduit 65 with both of the hydraulic conduit fittings 52 and 6 l. A manually operated valve El is connected into the conduit 33 between the connection of the conduit 65 with the conduit 33, and the hydraulic devices [6 and H, and a manually operated valve 68 is connected into the conduit 65.

When the valve 61 is closed and the valve 68 is open, the main valve 26 is effective to control the application of hydraulic fluid under pressure from the pump through the conduit 55 to the hydraulic jacks 4| and 42, and when the valve '68 is closed and the valve 5'! open, the control valve is cut off from the jacks 4i and 42 and effective to control the application of hydraulic fluid under pressure to the hydraulic devices 15 and [1.

With this arrangement, if the rear wheel truck $2 of the loader becomes derailed, the valve 51 is closed and the valve 63 opened, and the control valve 25 then operated to control the application of hydraulic fluid to the jacks 4i and 42 to raise the rear end of the loader frame and the rear wheel truck to bring the Wheels of the rear wheel truck above the track l3 and position them back on the track. If necessary, either one of the jacks can be inclined outwardly from its connection with the corresponding end of the support beam 35 to provide a side push on the rear end of the loader to move the Wheels sidewise relative to the track and realign them with the track before they are lowered back onto the track. The jacks can be operated one or more times, as may be necessary, to move the derailed rear wheel truck back onto the track rails.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention bein indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In a track loader, a frame having front and rear ends, a truck having front and rear track engaging wheels, said truck supportably engagingsaid frame at a point intermediate said ends of the frame, a supporting beam secured to and extending across said frame at the rear end of the frame, said beam having ends projecting laterally beyond opposite sides of said frame, a hydraulic jack depending from each end of said beam along a side of the frame, and comprising a cylinder secured to the beam, a piston workingin the cylinder and having an exposed lower end depending from the cylinder and having a foot for engaging the ground, and hydraulic operating means on said frame and operativelp connected to the jacks for depressing a piston into engagement with the ground for raising the rear end of the frame and the rear wheels of the truck, said jacks normally occupying perpendicular positions, pivot means securing said cylinders to said beam and providing for swinging movement of the jacks laterally outwardly from their normal positions on horizontal axes extending longitudinally of the frame to angulated positions to enable engagement of the jack feet with the ground at angles producing lateral shifting of the loader frame when a jack is operated.

2. A track loader according to claim 1 wherein each jack further comprises means acting between its piston and its cylinder for limiting depression of the piston relative to its cylinder.

3. A track loader according to claim 1 wherein each jack further comprises a return spring stretched between the beam and its piston and serving to elevate the piston in the cylinder from a depressed position and for urging the jack toward its normal position from an angulated position.

4. In a jack assembly for a track loader, a beam adapted to be secured across an end of the track loader, said beam having ends adapted to project beyond opposite sides of the loader, a hydraulic jack secured to and depending from each end of the beam and having a ground engaging foot, and means for operating a jack and depressing the foot thereof for raising the said end of the leader frame, and pivot means securing the jacks to the beam, said jacks normally occupying perpendicular positions along opposite sides of the loader frame, said pivot means being arranged to enable said jacks to be swung from their normal positions to laterally outwardly angulated positions with their feet displaced to engage the ground at points distant from the sides 10 of the loader frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Wolfson May 14, 1912 Aaron May 27, 1913 Coffey Sept. 26, 1933 Schmitt Aug. 22, 1944 

